Not for the first time, China’s online community is up in arms over what it sees as government efforts to control or tame the net. This time its over a government directive issued on the weekend which requires all content creators and influencers to hold relevant degrees or professional licences.

Under the new policy, any content creator or influencer who discusses “serious topics” such as health, medicine, law, education or finance must hold a relevant university degree or professional licence. Platforms including Douyin (China’s TikTok equivalent), Weibo, and Bilibili are now required to verify these credentials before allowing users to publish expert commentary. Violators could face fines of up to 100,000 yuan (approximately $14,000), account suspensions, or permanent bans.

Beijing

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